I'm glad you're letting opopanax touch you
- Cora takes Canonica on a trip after their internship, and they take a walk in the Garden. She asks Canonica about how she's been doing and her art, and Canonica shows her some sketches that she's been doing. During this conversation, they stumble across the cave that Liza found in the first season of nishgranting, and see that it's dried up and is dormant for the winter. She asks her what it feels like to do necromancy, and what she's resurrected before. Canonica describes it as delirious and like grabbing a hold of lightning, and that the first person she resurrected was some unknown person in the Outside. Canonica expresses some confusion at why Cora seems a bit concerned that she didn't really follow up on what happened to the person after. Cora takes out her not-lantern and illuminates some unreal flora, and eventually reveals that she could raise the dead too. Canonica takes acute interest and speculates on how some creatures are "born corpses", not unlike how she began her own not-life in her late teens. Eventually they discuss bringing Theremin's dead plant back to life.
- Liza visits Basilisk in the shrine itself, a vast columned chamber and her lair. After establishing their fits1, they discussed some of Liza's anxieties, and Basilisk wondered why she didn't take a firmer approach to her alternate selves. Liza wasn't sure, so Basilisk suggested burying the Architect again and dominating Pitohui with her Gatekeeper powers, since it's a Mystery. Liza expressed further fear about fumbling Basilisk, and Basilisk brushes it aside, but does bring up a similar conversation they had five years ago in season 1 about how she does want to see Liza become more confident in her desires. The scene fades to black.
- Ovida goes to visit the Unicorn Witch, but makes a stop to pick up Klyatva/Pitohui. She finds that Pitohui/Klyatva seem more merged than before, and have started consuming Opal's honey. Ovida generally thinks this is positive, but isn't quite sure of the vibes they're putting down about it all. She offers to take them to visit the Witch and Impermanence decides to go with it. The two of them find the Witch in the dream of a woman, Roksana, who is fishing from the Big Lake, each fish tearing pieces from the Witch for her to consume. She confronts Ovida and tries to figure why she's here, and proceeds to get into an argument about "yes I understand what death is, why are you so hung up on it Ovida?". Eventually, Ovida takes her place in the dream-trap and changes it to plant a longing in Roksana, causing a shadow to pass over the dream and for her to become unfit for the Witch to eat. The Witch is scared and calls Ovida some kind of monster, which Ovida takes in stride. The Witch is unsure what to do with all this, and Ovida kisses it unexpectedly, causing it to flee even as a new understanding blossomed inside itself.
- On the way back home, Cora and Canonica run into Asleova in uniform accompanied by a new rider- Ildrasteia Rinn2, Warmain of the Academy, professor, and requested contact from Aysu Kurush to foment her coup. She tells Asleova to get lost and they oblige, leaving behind a phone number Cora doesn't take, and she takes Ildrasteia and Canonica home. Yulia, recognizing them from her own time at the Academy, is concerned and warns Cora about them. Eventually they all get settled with drinks, and Cora lays out her plan and desire to Ildrasteia, before showing her crown from Majesty and sharing her experience of balance with the group. Ildrasteia is intrigued, but demands to test Cora's ability to truly achieve such a goal, alienating her from those she cares about to see if she can reclaim them and still hold firm in her goals. Cora pulls Yulia aside and asks if she will have her say no, before telling Yulia "Let me save us this time". Yulia isn't happy with this but doesn't object, and spins a thread from one of her nightmares to give to Cora in the hope that she won't lose it so easily under Ildrasteia's curse. They return and tell Ildrasteia their decision, as they grin and clap, bringing the scene to an abrupt close.
Next week: Cora forgets about those she loves
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basilisk in the casual black off the shoulder sweater, indicating a degree of casual intimacy we don't usually see with her; liza dressed like she wasn't expecting to go out today but was still working with how her wife and daughter were trying to shape her teen wardrobe
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Previously seen in The Dust of Stars, an avatar of the desire to both attain and thrive with complete alienation from one's fellow people in the void